Inhibitory effects of various 5-halogenated derivatives of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil 5'-triphosphate on DNA polymerases from murine cells and oncornavirus: substituent effects on inhibitory action

Synthesis of 5-radioiodoarabinosyl uridine analog for probing HSV-1 thymidine kinase gene: an unexpected chelating effect

Tumor cells transduced with herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene has been intensively applied to the field of positron emission tomography via imaging of its substrate. As a pilot synthesis approach, a facial preparation of 5-[125I]iodoarabinosyl uridine starting from commercial available uridine is reported herein. Interestingly, the tin group in 5-trimethylstannyl arabinosyluridine was easily removed during purification. The destannylation through the formation of a six-ligand coordination involving 2'-hydroxyl and tin was thereby proposed.

Potent inhibitory effects of the 5'-triphosphates of (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil on DNA polymerase gamma

(E)-5-(2-Bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate (BrVdUTP) and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil 5'-triphosphate (BrVarafUTP), which are known as specific inhibitors of herpes simplex viral (type 1 and 2) DNA polymerase, were found to be strong inhibitors of DNA polymerase gamma from human KB and murine myeloma cells. In fact BrVdUTP and BrVarafUTP were found to be stronger inhibitors of DNA polymerase gamma than of other DNA polymerases having viral (herpes simplex virus or retrovirus) origin or cellular (eukaryotic alpha and beta, or prokaryotic) origin. The mode of inhibition of DNA polymerase gamma by BrVdUTP and BrVarafUTP was competitive with respect to dTTP, the normal substrate. Whereas BrVdUTP was an efficient substrate for DNA polymerase gamma and other DNA polymerases that were examined, BrVarafUTP failed to serve as a substrate for DNA synthesis. Ki values for BrVdUTP (40 nM) and BrVarafUTP (7 nM) with DNA polymerase gamma, as determined with (rA)n.(dT) as the template.primer, were much smaller than the Km values for dTTP (0.16 microM and 0.71 microM for murine and human DNA polymerase gamma, respectively). Thus, the affinity of BrVdUTP or BrVarafUTP for DNA polymerase gamma was much stronger than that of dTTP.

Deoxyribonucleotide analogs as inhibitors and substrates of DNA polymerases

Inhibitory and substrate properties of analogs of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates toward DNA polymerases are reviewed. A general introduction is followed by a description of DNA polymerases and the reaction that they catalyze, and sites at which substrate analogs may inhibit them. Effects of modifications in the major family of compounds, nucleotide derivatives, at the base, sugar and triphosphate portions of the molecule, are summarized with respect to retention of substrate properties and generation of inhibitory properties. Structure-activity relationships and the basis of selectivity in the second family of compounds, deoxyribonucleotide mimics, are also presented. Conclusions are drawn regarding the structural basis of inhibitor selectivity and mechanism, relationship between in vitro and in vivo effects of inhibitors, and the promise of inhibitors as probes for study of active sites of DNA polymerases.

Mechanism of selective inhibition of human cytomegalovirus replication by 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-fluorouracil

Four kinds of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-halogenouracil were examined for inhibition of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) replication. 1-beta-D-Arabinofuranosyl-5-fluorouracil (ara-FU) was the most effective against HCMV, whereas 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-bromouracil was the most effective against HSV-1 and HSV-2. The mechanism of action of ara-FU on HCMV replication was also studied. The dTTP pool size in human embryonic fibroblasts was increased 33-fold by HCMV infection. However, treatment with ara-FU decreased the size of the dTTP pool by approximately 50%. On the other hand, 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-fluorouracil-5'-triphosphate inhibited HCMV DNA polymerase activity competitively with dTTP. These results suggest that ara-FU acts as a bifunctional inhibitor of HCMV replication. Ara-FU is phosphorylated by cellular thymidine kinase to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-fluorouracil-5'-monophosphate, which inhibits cellular thymidylate synthetase, which in turn decreases the dTTP pool size in infected cells. As the dTTP pool size is reduced, inhibition of viral DNA polymerase by 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-fluorouracil-5'-triphosphate becomes more efficient.